How to Play Piano

Being at the piano, fingering keys and playing tunes; familiarizing oneself with the piano; performing a few basic exercises to warm up; exploring some introductory rhythm patterns; knowing how to play the theme from Beethoven's "Ode to Joy".

Reviewing the introductory finger patterns; delving into the concepts of pitch and meter; exploring the concept of measures and different types of notes; examining the C major five-finger pattern; playing it in action with one's first etude.

The piano is a brilliant instrument because it can be used for melody, harmony, the lead tune and the accompaniment; exploring the tonic and dominant notes of a scale; revisiting "Ode to Joy" to better understand these concepts in action.

Tempo refers to speed in music and it can be measured with a metronome; working on the interplay of harmony and melody; when one adds time to the equation, one can explore intervals; studying basic notation, the first step toward musical mastery.

Familiarizing oneself with the landmark pitches on the staff; practicing various five-finger patterns to be able to match a tune to a specific tempo; introducing the concept of chords, a triad of notes that allow for richer accompaniment.

Rounding out the study of the major five-finger patterns; knowing how accidentals work; jazzing around with "When the Saints Go Marching In"; learning about the interval of the fourth; adding "Aura Lee" - the folk song, to one's repertoire.